Mary-Lou Manizer.

theBalm -

Mary-Lou Mainzer Highligher

This is a mega highlighter–no, seriously!  

The website description; 'Meet Mary-Lou Manizer, a seemingly innocent honey-hued luminizer that catches everybody’s eye. This highlighter, shadow and shimmer diffuses light so your skin looks softer and younger while adding a subtle glow. Layer it on your eyelids for luxe-looking eyelashes, sweep it on your cheeks for a sexy sheen or use it as an all over finishing touch before you head out for the night!'

This compact contains a ton of product, 8.5g to be precise – it’s double the amount of your average blush. I cannot even imagine ever finishing this, because you need so little to get a lovely shimmering glow. It’s soft, shimmering champagne with subtle gold tones. It’s not the subtlest highlighter, but it’s not glittery, heavy, or overly shimmery either. It seems to have a combination of noticeable shimmer and subtle, glowing sheen. I think it’s a very pretty shade–ultra flattering on most skin tones. It looks absolutely gorgeous on warmer skin tones, and should work beautifully on cooler skin tones, too!The pigmentation is fantastic, just a touch is required. It definitely is one of the most long-wearing highlighter’s I have used. It stays on for 6 to 7 hours on me without much fading. The texture is extremely finely milled and soft, blending like a dream.

Since it does not contain any solid shimmer or glitter and since the powder is finely milled there are no fallout at all! Also due to its texture it does not accentuate open pores or any imperfections on the face, but you need to be careful how much you use. If you use way too much you will definitely end up looking like a disco ball, something I feel this is true for all highlighters. Always keep a light hand and it would never fail you! It gives a subtle and healthy glow to face, immediately brightens up a dull face. It retails for £15, which I think is great for such a fabulous highlighter, and the amount you get is ridiculously good for the price.

If you love highlighters and don’t own this one, I really think you may want to put it on your list.

theBalm isn’t a beauty brand we hear much about in the UK, however after trying this, I definitely think I’m going to look into more of the products!!

Anyone got any recommendations?

Third Time Lucky.

Not long ago I wrote about my new favourite product, my Illamasqua Powder Foundation, post found here.  However, one thing I didn’t tell you all, was that the first time I bought it, it actually shattered before I even got home…heartbroken does even cover how upset I was. Therefore, after emailing Illamasqua about the problem, they offered me to replace it…amazing time.

All was going well, it was in perfect condition when I got home, I used it every day and it still looked as good as new. I wrote the post about how amazing it was. Then BOOM. I take it to university with me on my first day back, and it shatters in my bag. I literally must have only been out of the house ONE HOUR, then whilst getting my purse out of my bag, I realised what horror had happened. It was totally wrecked as you can see from the photo. What you can’t see very well is that at the top, the compact was actually down to the base (the silver tin base), the whole top half of the powder had just crumbled.

Once again I emailed Illamasqua, explaining what happened, along with the photograph. So now I have Powder Foundation Number 3. This is definitely the last one I’m trying. If it breaks I’m getting a refund and going somewhere else, which is a huge shame as the powder is just amazing. 

I’m not writing this to put anyone off the product. It is an incredible powder foundation. If anything it just reassures you about how amazing the customer service is at Illamasqua. I know many companies that wouldn’t replace a product once, let alone twice. Therefore, this makes me like the brand even more, knowing that their main priority is the customer.

Fingers crossed this one lasts many, many months.

Pore Minimising.

Simple –

Kind To Skin Pore Minimising Toning Cleanser

My large pores have always been something that has bothered me about my skin. They look horrible, and lead to getting blackheads way too easily. I’ve been looking for something that reduces the size of my pores, rather then just covering them with make up. As its coming to summer, I wanted to cut down on how much make up I wear, therefore I thought trying to shrink my pores would be a good way forward.

Simple state, ‘Our Pore Minimising Toning Cleanser is a perfect blend of active ingredients and vitamin goodness to visibly reduce the size of pores. Leaves skin feeling refreshed and clarified.’

Ingredients wise it includes two vital vitamins; Pro-Vitamin B5, which actively restores, softens and smooth’s skin and Vitamin E, which moisturizes skin, helping improve skin condition. Along side these, it also includes 3 skin loving nutrients; Witch Hazel, which tones and tightens pores, Chamomile helping soften and smooth’s skin and Geranium, overall conditioning and regenerates skin.

I use this like a toner, at night after taking my make up off and washing my face. It doesn’t actually explain how to use it, and looking at reviews I know people use it in different ways. However, for me I find it works best at night before my nighttime moisturizer, helping make my skin feel really soft, smooth and refreshed. 

Packaging wise, like all Simple bottles, this was easy to use. It has a flip-top cap and although the actual bottle top doesn’t unscrew, it’s so easy to use. I find it to be quite a nice looking bottle to be honest; I certainly don’t mind it being on my side table with all my other skin-care products.

Consistency wise, it’s a very thick, clears liquid with no smell. It’s almost a gel, which I found to be quite unique. I use it on a cotton wool pad, and just wipe it over my whole face. It really helps my skin look and feel refreshed, without leaving it feeling tight. As of yet, it hasn’t upset my very sensitive skin, nor has it lead to a break out of spots, which is a great bonus.

I’ve been using this for about a week now, and I would go as far as saying this has revolutionised the appearance of my skin. I know skin care is completely subjective, as we all have such different skin types, however this product is a godsend. I absolutely love it. Its made my skin glow, and overall look much clearer, my pores look a lot smaller, overall a much better base for my make-up. If you have problem with large pores, this is definitely worth trying out.

Grow Stronger.

Essie Nails Base Coat –

Grow Stronger

Before Christmas I thought it was time to ditch the false nails, and attempt to get my natural nail back to good health. This I thought would be easy, however after wearing false nails non-stop for just over 4 years, my nails were in a pretty hideous state. Never the less they’ve started getting stronger and growing and at the moment look pretty decent. One thing I wanted was a base coat that would help my nail’s grow stronger. Due to 4 years of trauma, they often break, split or peel, therefore a good strengthener base coat was a must need. Therefore I thought I would turn to Essie to help me. It’s definitely one brand I thrust when it comes to my nails, this is proven by most of my nails varnishes been by Essie.

The description on the bottle reads, ‘Essie Grow Stronger is a nail treatment that "fortifies nails to optimise growth".  Key ingredients of this product include: "Gingko Biloba and Vitamin E hydrate to nourish, Mineral Strengtheners, Nail hardeners to strengthen weak nails".  It claims that it is "scientifically proven to reinforce and help promote health growth": "30% stronger nails in 5 days, up to 29% longer nails in 5 days, nails grow harder, more resilient".’

In short, I love this nail base-coat/treatment. It’s incredible. After one week of using this my nails looked so much healthier, they no longer were paper and they weren’t breaking, peeling or splitting. I was so impressed. Now after 3 weeks of use my nails are just incredibly strong, growing so much since first starting to use it.

The other thing I love about this is that you can wear it as a base coat, helping your nails become stronger, but also keeping my nail varnish lasting much longer then normal. Alternatively, its really pretty on its on. It slightly reminds me of Essie’s Sugar Daddy, however without the hint of white. I know some people think that Grow Stronger is too pink, but I think they’re just being heavy-handed with it. One thin coat will give you a clear, typical base coat. Good for strengthening and creating an even base for your colour. If you apply a thick coat, you get a very pretty sheer pink that dries within a few minutes. The thin coat dries even more quickly, obviously. A word of caution, however: don’t let this stuff get too warm. Like most nail polishes, it turns gummy if left in a hot place for too long

Overall, this is amazing, definitely worth the £8.99 price tag. Personally, I think it rivals other much more expensive nail strengtheners. When mine runs out, I will definitely be purchasing another bottle straight away.